AGAWAM – A recent 21st birthday party at American Legion Post 185 may have gone off with a bang in more ways than one, according to officials.

Reports of a disturbance, drinking outside the establishment and shots fired during the celebration have netted the establishment a 10-day suspension of its liquor license, Liquor License Commission Chairman Kenneth J. Largay said Friday.

“You have to send a message right off the bat,” Largay said. “We felt that 10 days would be a wake-up call.” He acknowledged that over the nine years he has been on the commission he has not known of any problems at the post, which is at 478 Springfield St.

The fact that shots were reported fired at 12:18 p.m. June 26 and that there doesn’t appear to have been much accountability on the part of the bar management were strong factors in the board’s decision, he said.

Largay made the motion to suspend the license from July 19 through 29 following a public hearing about the incident Thursday night. The motion was seconded by the other commissioner at the hearing, Robert Swikalus, and was approved 2-0.

Police Detective Lt. Richard Light said there was also a report of a gun being shown, but no one has recovered any spent casings or other evidence a gun was fired.

“I’m pretty much 100 percent sure no one was hit with a bullet,” Light said.

Largay said there was a fight between a man from the birthday party and a man from another party at the establishment with minor injuries resulting, but no one requested medical treatment.

A bartender, whom police said appeared intoxicated, told officers she thought there would be a problem at 8 p.m., but did not notify the Police Department of her concern, Largay said.

When police got to the scene, there were 60 to 100 people in the parking lot and some of them were consuming alcohol they had taken out of the American Legion, a liquor law violation, according to Largay.

No from the club showed up at the public hearing. Sam Gallant became the manager of the bar about three months ago, Largay said. Gallant could not be reached for comment.

Light said police are continuing to investigate the matter and are talking with the people who rented the hall.